Step for carriages.



No. 744,863. 7 g PATENTED NOV. 24, 1903.

. G. E. HOPPER.

STEP FOR. GARRIAGES.

APPLIGATIONSPILED AUG. 3, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

Wifgzsses lg agfev.

W u llimgeys ans Fatented November 24, 1903.

CEBURN ELZVVORTH HOPPER, OF VVINNSBORO, TEXAS.

STEP IFOl-l CARRIAGES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 744,863, dated November24, 1903.

Application filed August 3, 1903. Serial No. 168,080. (No model.)

T0 all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, CEBURN ELZWORTH HOPPER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Winnsboro, in the county of Wood and State of Texas,have invented a new and useful Step for Carriages, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved vehicle-step, and has for itsobject to provide a simple, inexpensive, and efficient device of thischaracter designed for use on buggies, Wagons, and other vehicles andadapted to swing rearwardly when it comes in contact with a stump orother obstruction in the road and pass over the same without injury tothe step or vehicle.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pair of steps carriedby a single rockshaft and arranged one on either side of the buggy orother vehicle and to provide anovel form of spring and tension devicetherefor for normally and yieldingly holding said steps in theiroperative position. i

A still further object is, to form the step in the shape of a stirrup,said stirrup being arranged in theplane with the hanger, so as toprevent the step from catching on stumps or other obstructions in theroad and permit the same to glide over such obstructions without injuryto the step.

This invention consists in the construction and novel combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, itbeing understood that various changes in form, proportion, and minordetails of construction may be resorted to without departing from thespirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a side elevation of a carriage,showing a carriage step or steps constructed in accordance with myinvention and showing in dotted lines the position of the step whenswung rearwardly. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the same, and Fig. 3is a detail sectional view of the tension device and hangers.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawings.

1 designates a portion of a vehicle, a buggy in the present instance, tothe opposite sides of the bed 2 of which are secured in any suitablemanner bearing-brackets 3. Journaled in the brackets 3 is a rock-shaft4, the opposite ends of which are provided with depending andslightly-diverging arms or hangers 4:, which normally restagainstupstrucklugs or stops 5, formed in the brackets 3, and serve to holdsaid hangers in a vertical position, as clearly shown in Fig. 1 ofthedrawings. The arms or hangers 4. are provided with terminal loops orstirrups 6, which extend longitudinally of the vehicle-bed and slightlybeyond the sides thereof, forming the steps of the buggy or othervehicle. Secured to the bed of the vehicle and preferably at thefrontthereof is a loop or eye 7, in which is pivotally supported thecorresponding loop or eye of a rod or pin 8, carrying a coil-spring 9,the

threaded end of the rod 8 engaging the interior threads of a disk 10, bymeans of which. the tension of the spring is regulated, as will beexplained more fully hereinafter. Loosely mounted on the pin or rod 8 isa circular head 11, provided with a series of longitudinally extendingpins 12, the ends of which pass through suitable openings in thetension-disk 10 and engage threaded openings in a corresponding head 13.Swiveled in the head 13 is a hook 14:, the free end of which engages anarm 15, secured to the rock-shaft, the spring 9 serving to return therock-shaft to its normal position when the vehicle-step is forcedrearwardly by contact with a stump or other obstruction. The spring 9 isheld in position on the rod 8 by the pins 12, being interposed betweenthe head 11 and the disk 10, as shown, and the tension of said springmay be regulated by turning the disk 10, which causes said disk toengage the threads on the rod 8 and compress the spring, as willbereadilyunderstood. Thedistancebetween the heads 11 and 13 may also beregulated to accommodate different styles of vehicles by adjusting thepins 12.

The operation of my device will be readily understood and is as follows:Should the step come in contact with the stump of a tree or otherobstruction, it will swing rearwardly against the action of the coiledspring and by reason of its peculiar shape pass over such obstructionswithout jarring or otherwise inhaving the steps arranged in the sameplane with the hangers no projections are presented to catch on stumpsor other obstructions, as is the case where the steps are arranged atright angles to the hanger.

It is obvious that the disposition of the rock-shaft and hangers may bevaried somewhat to accommodate different styles of vehicles and otherchanges resorted to within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. A device of the class described comprising, a rock-shaft providedwith oppositelydisposed depending stirrup-steps, means for supportingthe shaft, and means for normally and yieldingly holding the steps inoperative position.

2. A device of the class described comprising, a rock-shaft providedwith oppositelydisposed depending hangers, stirrup-steps carried by thehangers and having their treads arranged in the same plane therewith,and means for supporting the shaft.

3. A-device of the class described comprising, arock-shaft,oppositely-disposed hangers carried by the shaft, said hangers beingprovided with terminal loops or stirrups extending in the same planetherewith and forming steps, means for normally and yieldingly holdingthe steps in operative position, and means for supporting the shaft.

4. A device of the class described comprising, a rock-shaft providedwith oppositelydisposed depending hangers, loops or stirrups formingsteps carried by the hangers and having their treads arranged in thesame plane therewith, a spring for normally holding the steps inoperative position, means for regulating the tension of the spring, andmeans for supporting the shaft.

5. A device of the class described com prising, a rock-shaft providedwith oppositelydisposed divergent hangers, terminal loops or stirrupsforming steps carried by the hangers and having their treads arranged inthe same plane therewith, a spring for normally and yieldingly holdingboth steps in operative position, means for regulating the tension ofthe spring, and means for supporting the shaft.

6. A device of the class described comprising, a rock-shaft providedwith oppositelydisposed depending hangers, loops or stirrups formingsteps carried by the hangers and having their treads arrangedlongitudinally of the Vehicle-body and in the same plane with thehangers, a spring for normally and yieldingly holding the steps inoperative position, means for regulating the tension of the spring, andmeans for supporting the shaft.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination with avehicle-body, of bearingbrackets provided with lugs or stops secured tothe vehicle-body, a rock-shaft journaled in said brackets and providedwith oppositelydisposed hangers, loops or stirrups forming steps carriedby the hangers and having their treads arranged in the same planetherewith, a spring for normally holding the hangers in contact with thelugs or stops, and means for regulating the tension of the spring.

8. In a device of the class described, the combination with avehicle-body, of bearingbrackets, a rock-shaft provided withoppositely-disposed depending steps journaled in said brackets, athreaded pin pivotally secured to the vehicle-body, a frame one end ofwhich is loosely mounted on the threaded pin the opposite end thereofbeing pivotally and rotatably connected to the rock-shaft, a disk orplate provided with a central threaded opening carried by the frame andadapted to engage the threads on the pin, and a spring interposedbetween the disk or plate and the frame.

9. A tension device for vehicle-steps comprising, a threaded rod or pin,a frame loosely mounted on the pin, a tension-plate carried by the frameand adapted to engage the threads on the rod or pin, and a springinterposed between the frame and the tensionplate.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

OEBURN ELZWORTH HOPPER.

Witnesses:

W. H. HOLLEY, M. W. JoNEs.

